


Lineage

by YumeArashi



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Gen, Rape/Non-con References, References to Child Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-09
Updated: 2013-03-09
Packaged: 2017-12-04 18:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/713590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YumeArashi/pseuds/YumeArashi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mario reacts to news of his brother's death.  Inspired by the fresh flowers on the tomb in the Auditore family crypt. (According to my resources, the tomb in the crypt belongs to the son of the assassin whose life story is told there, and that son would have been Mario and Giovanni's grandfather.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lineage

Mario ran through the family crypt, throwing himself carelessly over gaps and diving under gates moments before they slammed shut.  He needed to be moving, running and climbing.  Fighting would be better, but the Templars who had just killed his brother were out of his reach and his condottieri knew better than to spar with him right now.

By the time he reached the chamber, the sharpest edge of his rage had worn off, leaving grief and regret behind.   As always, he placed fresh flowers on his grandfather’s sarcophagus,  kneeling beside it.   

“It’s happening again,” he told the coffin in a heavy voice.  He hadn’t so much as glanced at the plaques that told the story of his family’s arrival here – but he didn’t need to.  The Auditore had long memories.

“The sick bastards, why do they always go after our families?  Murdering and raping, killing women and children… they are cowards and deviants, every last one.  Giovanni would not have regretted giving his life to our cause, we always knew that assassins don’t see old age very often.  But to know that Federico and Petruccio would die with him – cazzo, that boy was only …twelve?  Eleven?  I don’t even know!”  Tears started in his eyes.  He would never have let his grief show before anyone else, but his grandfather would have understood. 

“I hadn’t seen them in so long.  After that fight with Giovanni about Firenze and that Medici bastard, we both hold on to our stubborn pride.  Stupid, vain, useless pride.  Now he’s dead, and he never knew I forgave him. “  He swallowed thickly, needing a moment to find his voice again. 

“I don’t know if the others will even make it out of the city.  Maria and Claudia have only Ezio to protect them, and they’re being hunted like rats.  And there’s nothing I can do from here – to send my men in after them would spark another war with Firenze, and Monteriggioni’s in no shape for that.”

He rested his hand on the cool stone, wishing he could ask his grandfather’s advice.  “Is this to be the end of the line, then?  We kill them, they kill us, but somehow there are always more of them, with more money and more power.  Is today the day the Auditore family dies?”

The tomb didn’t answer, save in the faraway drip of water, the faint skittering of tiny feet, and the wind whistling through a cap in the stone somewhere.  Mario dried his eyes and stood.  “I’m sorry, grandfather.  You and great-grandfather fought too hard to see the line come to this.  If the boy comes to me, I’ll do what I can for him.  And if he dies,” he smiled grimly, “then I will make such an end of this family as history will never forget.”


End file.
